An Oklahoman by birth, Middle Tennessee has been my home since a young girl. Working on my family history provides countless hours of enjoyment each week. The occasional road trip to visit county Archives, relatives and 'Graveyarding' in local cemeteries provides the "icing on the cake" for my research. The primary families that I focus on are Pickens (MS,OK), Hilliker/Hillaker (Canada/Michigan), Taylor (Rockcastle,KY), Whaley (Canada/MI), Wheaton (MI), Fox (OH,KY), the Lamirands (Wanette,OK) and all those who have married into these families in my research. States that I love to visit on my genealogy travels are Oklahoma, Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky. Thankfully, my father-in-law completed the family history for my husband's side of the family. Those families include the Murphys(Liverpool), Maske(Germany/Poland), Spielman(Germany/Poland/Wis), and the many families affiliated with his extensive research. I have a wonderful family who supports this addiction.

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"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice." ~Indian Proverb

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"I know in my heart that man is good. That what is right will always eventually triumph. And there is purpose and worth to each and every life." ~ carved on the memorial wall at President Ronald Wilson Reagan's burial site. 1911-2004.

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When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.~Author Unknown

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"As we think well of ourselves, let us remember that we are standing on the shoulders of the generations before, for if they had not come, we would not be here."

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We are the Chosen

In each family there is one that seems called to find the ancestors. To put flesh on their bones and make them live again; to tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve. Doing genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts but, instead, breathing life into all who have gone before. We are the story tellers of the tribe. All tribes have one. We have been called, as it were, by our genes. Those who have gone before cry out to us: "Tell our story". So, we do. In finding them, we somehow find ourselves. How many graves have I stood before now and cried? I have lost count. How many times have I told the ancestors, "You have a wonderful family: you would be proud of us." How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me? I cannot say. It goes beyond just documenting fact. It goes to who am I and why do I do the things I do. It goes seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever to weeds and indifference and saying I can't let this happen. The bones here are bones of my bone and flesh of my flesh. It goes to doing something about it. It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish. How they contributed to what we are today. It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up, their resoluteness to go on and build a life for their family. It goes to keep pride that the fathers fought and some died to make and keep us a Nation. It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us. It is of equal pride and love that our mothers struggled to give us birth, without them we could not exist, and so we love each one, as far back as we can reach. That we might remember them. So we do. With love and caring and scribing each fact of their existence, because we are they and they are the sum of who we are. So, as a scribe called, I tell the story of my family. It is up to that one called in the next generation to answer the call and take my place I the long lone of family storytellers. That is why I do my family genealogy, and that is what calls those young and old to step up and restore the memory or greet those whom we had never known before.

Thank You on the UpdateHi Helen, First of all, it is nice meeting you!! Joe Dozier Green married Louise Walker Work , she had three children, upon her death they as I as a parent, daughter can certainly understand she passed they requested her go by her maiden name and their surname Work as their father. Joe was injured during his POW WW2 German Nazi camp, he could not have children. His first wife, remarried as she wanted children. Yes the obits would be great. My Great Grandmother, Ollie, had all old pictures, 2 boxes of obits, 2 old bibles. We have not seen those after her death. That has many of us puzzled and asking her Grandson, if he took them from his mother's home by chance.

I would love the obit's should I post my email address to you, then you delete that post, as I do not have another just to use for Genealogy and noticed some do for that reason. Good idea. Let me know. Thank You for the Update. And Information. Carolyn & M

We Are The Chosen AuthorThe Genealogist The GenealogistThe Chosen OnesIn each family we hear the call to find our ancestors.To put flesh on their bones and make them live once again,To tell the family story and to feel that somehow they know and approve.To me, genealogy is not a cold gathering of facts,But instead, breathing life into all who have gone before.We are the story tellers of the tribe.We have been called as it were by our genes.Those who have gone before cry out to us:Tell our story.So, we do.In finding them, we somehow find ourselves.How many graves have I stood before and cried?I have lost count.How many times have I told the ancestors?You have a wonderful family, you would be proud.How many times have I walked up to a grave and felt somehow there was love there for me?I cannot say.It goes beyond just documented facts.It goes to who I am and why I do the things I do.It goes to seeing a cemetery about to be lost forever,To weeds and indifference and saying I canít let this happen.The bones here are bones of my bones and flesh of my flesh.It goes to doing something about it.It goes to pride in what our ancestors were able to accomplish.How they contributed to what we are today.It goes to respecting their hardships and losses, their never giving in or giving up.Their resoluteness to building a life for their family.It goes to deep pride that they fought to make and keep us as a nation.It goes to a deep and immense understanding that they were doing it for us,That we might be born who we are.That we might remember who they were.So we do.With love and care we scribe each fact of their existence,Because we are they and they are us.It is up to that one called in the next generation,To answer the call and take their place in the long line of family storytellers.That is why I do Genealogy,And that is what calls those young and old to step up and put flesh on the bones.

Author: Della M. Cumming ca. 1943** I had this poem posted on our bio page, then googled the title of the poem and discovered the Author name. It has been rewritten by her granddaughter as well to reshare. I suppose that is part of who we are as StoryTellers of History, Genealogy, I wanted to know who wrote such a lovely poem.

RE: UpdateHelen thank you for the photos for the Nichols, yes the L. J. Overbey is part of my family, in fact many in that cemetery are related to me. My father is there and that is where we scattered my sister's ashes last year and I will be buried there too. It is a beautiful little cemetery and I had photographed the whole cemetery at one time when I was there and somehow my photos were deleted from my camera before I could download them. If I find any others I need I will let you know. Thank you very much

RE: TN visitI hope to come in July or August. We will have to see what is going on here. I will keep the info you sent me and see what else I can find. I have been busy with the Tidwell family lately and will definitely use you as a resource. Are you on facebook? My email is shirleyfarrell42@gmail.com and my user name on facebook is Shirley Grant Farrell...I am so excited that we met this way, talk to you again soon.Shirley